Cougars Basketball Roster Rundown: ND Okafor
This summer, Emerald City Spectrum will be taking a look at the Washington State men's basketball roster leading up to a new season, breaking down all 14 players who are expected to suit up for the Cougars in 2025-26.
In part four of the series, ND Okafor hopes to become more of a scoring threat and continue improving on the defensive end in his second season in Pullman as a versatile junior forward for the Cougars.
ND Okafor, Forward, Junior
Okafor, a returning Cougar from Dundalk, Ireland, brought rim protection and explosiveness to Washington State after transferring from California last season. During his sophomore year at Cal prior to transferring, he appeared in just nine games due to injury, averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Okafor joins Parker Gerrits, Tómas Thrastarson, Rihards Vavers, and Kase Wynott as the only returners from last season.
ND Okafor protects the rim in transition. He is a lethal force around the bucket.#GoCougs | 📺MWN pic.twitter.com/vLWIYiWF8C— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) December 3, 2024
In his first year at WSU, Okafor showed promising development across the board, as he averaged a career-high 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, including a standout 13-point performance at Pepperdine. Primarily known for his defense, he added 1.3 blocks per game in just 13 minutes of action per game, showcasing his rim protecting prowess and timing despite being a bit undersized at 6-9. His defensive box plus/minus (DBPM) was positive, reflecting his impact on that end of the court for the Cougars.
For scout notes: ND Okafor will meet you at the rim. You probably won't win that battle.#GoCougs // 📺ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/OFMizqZCjp— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) November 12, 2024
Okafor’s combination of strength and athleticism allows him to hold his own in the post and contest shots effectively. But there’s much room left to grow in his game. Most notably, he must improve his lateral quickness to stay effective against teams running five-out offenses and opposing big men who either want to stretch the court with their jump shot or are comfortable handing the ball on the perimeter. As for the offensive end, shoring up his ball-handling and adding a more reliable mid-range jump shot to his arsenal would add versatility to his game while giving Washington State another scoring option.
Despite a bevy of new roster additions, Okafor is set to earn meaningful minutes for the Cougars this season. His ability to serve as a transitional five-man - a rarity on this squad - will be especially valuable in matchups against teams like Gonzaga that use a post-heavy attack. That said, his playing time may dip against squads with quicker, perimeter-oriented bigs unless he shows improvement guarding in space from a year ago.
To emerge from role-player status into a potential starter, Okafor will need to exhibit greater defensive agility and offensive versatility. If he can develop those skills and he becomes more than a rim protector, he has the upside to still be a game changer for Washington State as it tries to climb up the WCC standings in 2025-26.
